Undergraduate Operating Department Practice Degrees

Learn what it takes to perform a vital role in patient care and hospital management on our Operating Department Practice course.

You'll learn to work with nurses, surgeons and anaesthetists to ensure that each patient is safe and operations are effective. You'll do this by developing your knowledge and your ability to apply analytical thinking to clinical situations.

What our staff and students say

ODPs are working in critical care and acute environments and they need to call on all of their skills and knowledge to ensure that each phase of peri-operative care - anaesthetic, surgical and recovery - is 100% effective and safe for a patient. This sounds overwhelming for someone thinking about an ODP career, but our Diploma in Operating Department Practice gives people the confidence as well as the skills and knowledge to do the job brilliantly.

Rob Corbett - ODP Professional Lead at Staffordshire University

Facilities

We've invested in £4 million into our Stafford Centre of Excellence for healthcare, ensuring you'll have the facilities that get you ready for clinical practice.

The benefit of simulated practice is in the provision of a safe environment to allow students to develop their skills and apply theory to practice. Allowing students to practice these skills in the university setting develops confidence which has a positive impact on the quality of care provided during clinical placements.

Library

Equipped with outstanding spaces for private and collaborative group study, our libraries aren't just about books. You'll have access to a massive resource of journals and online information, all of it tailored to the needs of our healthcare students.

Social Space

Our Centre of Excellence sites both have dedicated spaces for you to study and socialise. When you need a change of pace, you'll find comfortable seating, eating areas, TVs, magazines and books.

Shrewsbury

We're transforming the Centre for Excellence for Health Sciences, based at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital site, with more than £1 million being invested to provide our students with the best possible student experience.

Stafford

These state-of-the-art labs allow a number of clinical procedures to be simulated on mannequins, enabling students to reach a level of confidence and proficiency before carrying out procedures on real patients.

Take a 360 look at our Operating Department Practice Facilities

Operating Theatre - 360° view

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Careers

We have 100% employability for all our graduates. Once qualified, you may progress your career to a senior level and may rise in the theatre practitioner grades.

There are also prospects of career advancement in management and teaching or specialised practice, for example, in resuscitation, intensive care or accident and emergency environments.

In some hospitals ODPs can be part of the:

Cardiac arrest team

Transplant team

Trauma team

Departmental management

Print-making design

Specialist consultancy

Teaching and educational work

Healthcare management

Inter-hospital transfers

Intensive care units

Research

Guaranteed Work Experience

Who says students have never done a day's work? We provide the opportunity of work experience for all new students joining us in September.

This work experience may be closely linked to your course, or it could be a broader experience designed to develop your employability skills. Our commitment will give students the best possible mix of knowledge and experience.

Over 60% of your time will be allocated to clinical practice. Placements will be supervised by a work based Mentor, who will support your development and oversee practical assessments.